Chapter 2

Five years later, I ran into Grace again at an exclusive private country club.

I had just finished planning, coordinating, and setting up three major weddings back-to-back.

Absolutely exhausted and looking a bit of a mess, I was sitting in a quiet corner of the lobby, nursing a bottle of water.

Nearby, Grace and Isaac were handing out invitations to a crowd of adoring fans, soaking in their endless flattery.

"Grace, you’re literally the breakout star of the industry! An Academy Award in just three years!"

"And you and Isaac are finally getting married! You really have it all!"

"Seriously! Grace is the most sought-after actress both here and abroad. Her wealth and connections are insane now."

"Isaac is a rising star in Los Angeles' elite circles, too. You guys are the definition of couple goals!"

"Grace, if your next movie needs extras, please throw us a bone! Let us experience the star life too."

"Yeah, let us ride your coattails and make some quick cash!"

Grace smiled warmly, pointing at the man beside her. "Once our wedding is over, I’ll make sure Isaac sets something up for you guys."

Suddenly, one of the fans piped up, "Hey, Grace, is that guy Edward still stalking you?"

"Ugh, remember how he used to follow you around like a lost puppy? It was so annoying."

"Yeah, rumor has it that the first TV show you invested in was actually based on your story with him."

Hearing my name, I paused and looked up.

Grace’s smile vanished, and she frowned in annoyance.

Being the perfect, attentive fiancé, Isaac quickly stepped in with a smooth smile. "Oh, come on, guys. Those are just internet rumors."

"If Grace and Edward actually had anything going on, would I be standing here handing out our wedding invitations today?"

The young fans nodded in agreement, immediately turning their anger on the internet trolls who started the rumors.

Sitting in my corner, I let out a mocking, silent laugh.

In our past life, Grace had once told me that if she ever became an actress, she would tell the whole world our love story so everyone would envy how pure our love was.

Back then, we were both kids raised by single parents.

We met through a mutual college roommate and gradually became inseparable.

Perhaps because we shared similar lonely childhoods, we always had endless things to talk about.

After a group dinner one night, Grace got a little tipsy and confessed her feelings to me.

With blushing cheeks, she had said, "Edward, you’ve been in my heart for so long. I want to be with you forever."

Young and hopelessly in love, I happily agreed.

At that time, I genuinely believed I had found my soulmate. But reality soon started slapping me in the face.

Clank!

My water bottle slipped and rolled across the marble floor, the sharp noise instantly drawing everyone’s attention to my corner.

"Wait, isn’t that Edward? Is he seriously stalking Grace again?"

"Look at that blue utility jumpsuit. Don't tell me he’s working here as a janitor?"

"We, as Grace’s loyal fans, are all high-class people with actual money."

"You sneaked in here without an invitation. Don't get caught by the paparazzi, you’ll make Grace look bad!"

"Honestly, let’s just start a GoFundMe and throw him a thousand bucks so he can get the hell out of here! He’s embarrassing us!"

The crowd erupted into nasty laughter, throwing looks of pure disgust my way.

I calmly picked up my water bottle, wiped it down with a napkin, and ignored them.

Grace looked at me with a complicated expression, her voice dripping with condescension. "Edward, look at yourself. What have you become?"

Isaac wrapped a comforting arm around her waist and said gently, "Now, Grace, we did know Edward back in the day."

"Since he's reduced to working as a low-level setup guy here, we should show some charity and help him out."